Parliament tightens security; curbs on visitors

Security at the Parliament House has been tightened further in view of the "prevailing security scenario" for the rest of the monsoon session.

A bulletin issued by the centralised pass issue cell states that visitor cards will now be issued only to spouses, children and close relatives of members of Parliament and that too not to more than two persons at a time.

MPs have been asked to request for visitor passes for only people familiar to them. Visitor applications should be filed latest by 1600 hours on a working day, and a day before the card is sought.

While applying for visitor cards for the galleries, MPs are now required to issue a certificate stating 'the above mentioned visitor/visitors are my relation/personal friend(s)/ known to me personally and I take full responsibility for him/her/them'.

The Lok Sabha secretariat said that the MPs right to take any number of "guests" to watch Parliament proceedings for one hour will continue as it is.

The bulletin puts responsibility on MPs to ensure that all particulars are duly filled up in the application forms, giving full name of the visitors and their father or husband and not just initials. "It will not be possible to issue visitor cards in the absence of full particulars as required in the application form," the bulletin states.